• • A reinforced earth wall 12 m high is reinforced with strip elements 12.0 m long and 15 mm thick with horizontal spacing of 1.3 m and vertical spacing of 1.0 m. The angle of shear resistance between the elements and the fill is 29 degrees and the tensile strength of the strip is 300 N/mm2. The unit weight of the fill is 18.5 kN/m3 and its angle of shearing resistance is 34 degrees. The highest strip lies at 1 m below the top of the wall and the lowest strip is at 9 m below the top of the wall.

    b) Determine the minimum width required for the strip elements assuming a safety factor against tensile rupture of 2.0.

    c) Determine the factor of safety against pull-out.

    d) Why is the Rankine active wedge considered when undertaking an analysis of reinforced earth? please include a diagram in your answer.

    e) Considering the previous question, how does the failure plane impact the reinforcement strips in the backfill (i.e. their length)? Please use a diagram to in your answer.

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